Body of missing swimmer found at Lady Bird Lake

AUSTIN - The body of a man who jumped into Lady Bird Lake and never resurfaced Saturday morning has been found, according to Austin-Travis County EMS.

Austin Police Department, Austin Fire Department and Austin Travis County EMS all responded to the lake at around 7 a.m.

According to APD, a transient couple was on the 1st Street bridge overlooking the lake when the woman's purse fell in. The man ran down to the shore and jumped in to get it. At some point he went under.

Emergency personnel didn't find him during their initial searches with rescue swimmers or shallow divers. They then had to bring in APD's dive team.

"Depending on weather and current, the visibility can be one feet up to five or six," explained Todd Pomroy with the Austin Fire Department. "And that will hamper or help us depending on what we find when we go underneath."

According to crews on scene, visibility was lower Saturday, hampering efforts slightly. The dive team spent the day scouring the search area foot by foot before finding the body of a man in his 30s at around 1 p.m.

APD also says a paddle boarder was in the area at the time of the incident and saw bubbles in the water, but didn't see the swimmer go under. The victim's identity has not yet been released.